Made In Dakar

This second effort by Orchestra Baobab Mk. 2 comes in the wake of five years back in business as a working band and is the product of a tighter and brighter unit. Even if they are still leaning quite heavily on old material, it's generally songs that are less familiar to a non-Senegalese audience, often shedding light on their roots and influences. They're also revamped with a more zestful, live-in-the-studio feel, the band is beefed up by extra brass and percussion, and the new compositions are pure, vintage Baobab.

As ever, their foremost instrumental star is lead guitarist Barthélemy Attisso, whose fluid but never florid licks continuously percolate through the music, occasionally emerging for exquisitely timed solo spots, as on "Aline" - a lovely relaxed tribute to Congolese rumba - and, more grittily on "Ndéleng Ndéleng". A driving piece based on the mbalax rhythm, it also features a strong lead vocal from the youngest of their five singers, Assane Mboup. If he sounds a bit like Youssou N'Dour, that's maybe because he's one of N'dour's protégés, and the two trade verses brilliantly on ''Nijaay''.

Praise should also go to Issa Cissoko, who decorates his own gorgeously smoochy calypso ''Bikowa'' with an utterly beseeching solo. And what about percussionist Mountaga Koite, whose deft, insistent cymbal work powers the likes of ''Ami Kita Bay'' and ''Colette''? I could go on. The latter closes the album on a slightly unusual note - blending reggae, '70s soul and a dash of boogaloo into something like Senegalese ska. Yes, that is the Buena Vista Social Club's Jesus 'Aguaje' Ramos on trombone, but there's no falling into the trap of gratuitous celebrity cameos. How could there be when Orchestra Baobab have so many outstanding talents of their own? --Jon Lusk

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Orchestra Baobab are Africa's soul survivors, a great iconic band who have survived with their classic 1970s line-up largely intact and their uniquely diverse cocktail of styles and influences sounding as fresh and relevant as ever. In 2001, the Senegalese band returned to recording and performing after a 16 year career hiatus, establishing themselves as one of the world's most enduringly popular live acts and earning unanimous critical acclaim - along with two Radio 3 Awards and a Grammy nomination - for `Specialist in All Styles'.

Recently, Orchestra Baobab made their return to the club scene in their home town Dakar - an experience that has fed directly into their new album. Combining the gritty lo-fi feel of their early recordings with dynamic new arrangements that reflect the realities of the Senegalese capital today, this is an album that could only have been Made in Dakar.

`Made in Dakar' unveils a string of beautifully crafted new songs together with reworked gems from their 20 album discography. It is the latest chapter in one of the world's most heart-warming musical stories - the saga of a group of musicians who have wowed audiences in stadiums, festivals and concert halls around the world, but who have retained the warmth, the spontaneity & essential humanity of the truly local band.

Personnel:
Balla Sidibe - (vocals, timbales, drums), Rudy Gomis - (vocals, maracas, clave), Ndiouga Dieng - (vocals, congas), Medoune Diallo - (vocals), Assane Mboup - (vocals), Barthélemy Attisso - (lead guitar, chef d'orchestre), Latfi Benjeloun - (rhythm guitar), Issa Cissoko - (tenor sax, alto sax), Thierno Koite - (alto sax), Charlie Ndiaye - (bass), Mountaga Koite - (congas, drums)

Special guests: Youssou Ndour - (vocals `Nijaay'), Ibou Konate - (trumpet), Sanou Diouf - (tenor sax 'Beni Baraale'), Baba Nabe - (rhythm guitar 'Beni Baraale'), Jesus "Aguaje" Ramos - (trombone), Thio Mbaye - (sabar drums), Assane Thiam - (tama talking drum)